(From Goodreads) I’m Logan Quinn, the deadliest Spartan
warrior at Mythos Academy. At least I was — until the day I almost killed Gwen
Frost.

Professor Metis and Nickamedes say that I’m fine, that Loki and
the Reapers don’t have a hold on me anymore, but I can’t risk it. I can’t risk
hurting Gwen again. So I’m leaving Mythos and going somewhere far, far
away.

I know Gwen wonders what’s happening to me, whether I’m safe. I
can’t tell her, but this is my story...

I don't usually review novellas. I think maybe I should. Although I still don't consider them a "novel," novellas do still have their place in the overall story. I think they fill in the gaps and make the rest of the books so much richer. So, I'm going to start my new policy with Spartan Frost - it's a very good place to start, actually.

If you read my review of Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4), you'll note that the only fault I found with it was that there wasn't nearly enough Logan Quinn for my liking. Imagine my glee when I found that Jennifer Estep had a novella planned from - wait for it... LOGAN'S POV. I know, right?! All the full-length Mythos books are told from Gwen Frost's POV, so this novella was such a treat.

And, it came at the perfect time, too. After the events at the end of Crimson Frost, I've never been more interested in getting inside Logan's head than I am now. And, what a sad and complex place it is, too. He's experiencing such guilt and anger over his actions, it hurts my heart. Logan is a Spartan - a natural born warrior. So, it's not in his nature to sit around and wallow. The events of Spartan Frost lead Logan on quite an adventure. It's exciting and super fun to see him kicking some major butt again. The end leaves a perfect opening to lead you into Midnight Frost (Mythos Academy #5), due out later this summer. Spartan Frost seemed like it was on the short side as far as novellas go. It's a great way to spend an hour or so in the afternoon while you wait for Midnight Frost's release and more Logan Freaking Quinn.

(From Goodreads) Chloe Saunders is fifteen and would love
to be normal. Unfortunately, Chloe happens to be a genetically engineered
necromancer who can raise the dead without even trying. She and her equally
gifted (or should that be 'cursed'?) friends are now running for their lives
from the evil corporation that created them.

As if that's not enough,
Chloe is struggling with her feelings for Simon, a sweet-tempered sorcerer, and
his brother Derek, a not so sweet-tempered werewolf. And she has a horrible
feeling she's leaning towards the werewolf...

Definitely not normal.

Little Chloe has grown up. At long last. The Reckoning finally brought all I wanted to see in the first two books in the series to light, and it made this the best book in the Darkest Powers Trilogy.

Chloe, Derek, Simon and Tori are safe at a friend's house, but are still not sure whom they can fully trust. They are put in touch with adults who can help train them up and teach them to properly use their powers. But, it's not long before the Edison Group catches back up with them and then they all have some major decisions to make.

The absolute best part of The Reckoning was seeing Chloe finally - FINALLY - grow into her powers and actually use them as a fierce weapon. She has always been so skittish and so timid. So ashamed of what she could do and so unwilling to do it. She now realizes that there are things out there worth fighting for. It's not a switch that's instantaneous. It takes her some time to work up to it. But, when it matters, she comes through, and it was so, so satisfying to finally see that from her.

The other awesome part of this book is Derek and seeing him finally realize HIS full potential too. I think that was my favorite part. It's something we've all been waiting for - the moment when Derek finally becomes a wolf - and it's pretty cool. Derek makes a pretty good teenage werewolf.

The sweet relationship that blossoms between Derek and Chloe was fun to read. Derek is so tentative with her, which is anathema to the rest of his personality. When they finally got over themselves, they were able to get into each other.

Kelley Armstrong has created an incredible world. I may not have been totally thrilled with the first two books in this series, but it had nothing to do with the writing or the world building. The powers she gave these people and the villains she created were fantastic. Her writing is wonderful and evocative. I look forward to continuing the adventure with her spinoff series, Darkness Rising.

May 29, 2013

Unbreak Me, by Lexi Ryan
Published May 27, 2013Publisher: Lexi Ryan/Ever After LLCFormat: e-ARC - provided by AToMR and the author in exchange for an honest reviewGenre: New Adult Contemporary RomanceTo Buy:Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) “If you’re broken, I’ll fix
you…”

I’m only twenty-one and already damaged goods. A slut. A
failure. A disappointment to my picture-perfect family as long as I can
remember. I called off my wedding to William Bailey, the only man who thought I
was worth fixing. A year later, he’s marrying my sister. Unless I ask him not
to…

“If you shatter, I’ll find you…”

But now there’s
Asher Logan, a broken man who sees the fractures in my façade and doesn’t want
to fix me at all. Asher wants me to stop hiding, to stop pretending. Asher wants
to break down my walls. But that means letting him see my ugly secrets and
forgiving him for his.

With my past weighing down on me, do I want the
man who holds me together or the man who gives me permission to break?

Unbreak Me was a great new adult story told in three POVs. Yes - you read that right. In Unbreak Me, we get inside the heads of Maggie, her ex-fiance Will, and bad boy rock star Asher. Initially when I realized this, I was a little confused at the decision to do that, as three POVs can get a bit messy.

Ultimately, though, I think it was a good call on Lexi Ryan's part. For one reason, it hid the love triangle resolution from me for a long time. Both men are in love with Maggie. And, it seems that Maggie has serious feelings for both men. But, as we delve into Asher's and Will's thoughts and feelings, the nuances came through and eventually, Maggie's correct choice became clear. Of course, it took her longer to figure that out than me, but that's to be expected.

Maggie's full backstory is also drawn out for a long time. It kept me guessing, and ultimately, I guessed wrong at exactly what happened to her. For an NA book, her problems are a bit more serious than the usual, which cast a pall over the book. It was pretty depressing, honestly. That doesn't mean that Unbreak Me was a bad book. On the contrary - it was a great book that elicited a lot of emotion. But, I felt like I needed to read a much lighter book next to take the sad away.

Asher and Will - I loved both of these boys for very different reasons. Will is the "good boy." He is the one who has known Maggie for years and stood by her when the going got rough. He's also the one whose heart was broken by her when she mysteriously broke off their engagement a year ago. Asher is the "bad boy." He is a former rock star with a rap sheet, tats and a constant 5 o'clock shadow. He's also the only one (besides Will) who treats Maggie with respect and isn't constantly trying to get her to talk about her problems. I didn't know who to root for for awhile.

There was a lot going on in Unbreak Me, and it took awhile for it to all come together. But, when it did, everything made sense and Maggie made her choice. Of course, this wouldn't be a good book without a kink in the road once you think everything is going to be okay. But, that made the ending that much more satisfying. Unbreak Me will make a great addition to your NA library.

May 28, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the
Bookish. This is one meme I can get on board with - I LOVE lists! I'll show
you mine if you show me yours!

Top Ten New Adult Books

This week is a freebie week! Since I've been reading A LOT of new adult books lately, I decided to highlight what I feel are the best of the best.

1. Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles - This book deserves a spot on the list, simply because it's the first new adult book I ever read. It was published five years ago before anyone knew what "new adult" was. And, it's still one of the best.

4. Walking Disaster, by Jamie McGuire - Beautiful Disaster was good, but Walking Disaster was so much better. And, that was all because of Travis Maddox. He was so flawed and wonderful. And, that epilogue was awesome.

6. Inhale, Exhale, by Sarah Ross - Insta-love usually annoys the crap out of me, but for some reason it fit perfectly in this story. Grant was the perfect gorgeous geek and I loved how he took care of Jillian when she needed him to.

9. Off Limits, by Sawyer Bennett - Nix has returned from Afghanistan a changed man and Emily is there to help him pick up the pieces. The romance was hot and sweet, and the ending was one of the best endings of any NA book I've ever read.

May 27, 2013

The New Adult genre - their bad boys and big problems and epic loves
make them engrossing tales that are so easy to lose yourself in. What's
not to love about that? And, now, thanks to the cool chicks at Bewitched Bookworms, we can show these books the love they deserve in a weekly feature - New Adult Mondays.

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2), by Katie McGarry
To Be Published May 28, 2013Publisher: Harlequin TeenFormat: e-galley - provided by NetGalleyGenre: New Adult Contemporary RomanceTo Buy:Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) If anyone knew the
truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and
seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all
costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose
between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds
herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school
that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who
shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden
boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not
even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant
dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who
couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare
becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly,
the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the
girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring
herself to want it all...

The New Adult genre follows a pretty prescribed formula.
Sometimes that formula is a comfort to me. I’ll read a few YA or adult or urban
fantasy books, and a lot of times they stress me out for one reason or another
(The angst! The love triangles! The cliffhangers!). So, I fill the space
between them with a few good NA books and their neat formulas, which almost
always include:

A “bad boy” – a lot of times tatted, pierced, womanizing and
from the wrong side of the tracks

A good girl with a tragic past – virginal, but damaged

A predictable story arc – they meet, they hate each other,
they like each other, they REALLY like each other, they’re happy, they break
up, they get back together, the end

One of my absolute favorite parts of Dare You To is that it
messed with the formula a little bit. Not so much that it couldn’t be
recognized for what it was, but enough that I sat there and went, “Whoa. That’s
different!”

See, in Dare You To, the “bad boy” is actually a “bad GIRL.”
Beth is tatted, pierced, and definitely from the wrong side of the tracks. Her
mom is a complete mess. Her dad is nonexistent. She is sent to live with her
uncle after getting arrested, and she is really not happy about it.

The good, virginal, damaged girl is actually a guy. Ryan is
the star of the school’s baseball team. His parents are pillars of the
community. He has dated the popular mean girl. As far as the rest of the world
is concerned, Ryan is living the charmed life. But, his family life is
completely dysfunctional and his world feels like it’s falling down around him.

Can I tell you how much I loved this role reversal? For
once, the inexperienced, sweet one is the guy. How crazy is that? I love how
Katie McGarry shaped and formed these characters. Beth was introduced in
Pushing the Limits, but we didn’t see too much of her. I love how rough and
mean she was. It was totally believable. And I also loved that she didn’t
change on a dime as soon as she met a hot guy. She actually never really
“changed.” Just adapted.

And Ryan was sweet and patient, but didn’t stand for all of
Beth’s crap – and she gave him a lot of crap. His relationship with his brother
was the best. It was nice watching that unfurl.

For those that are wondering – yes. We see Noah and Echo.
Briefly. This isn’t their story, but they are part of Beth’s life, so they show
up, but remain on the periphery. There’s a lot of Isaac in Dare You to, though,
as he comes to grips with the fact that Beth doesn’t love him the same way he
loves her.

Dare You To was a great book that served as a change to the
usual NA books I read. For that, I say, “Bravo” to Katie McGarry for creating
such a good bad girl.

May 24, 2013

I've got my registration confirmation and my hotel room. So, now what??
This will be my first time there, and I always approach new experiences
the same way - research, research and more research. And, the more
research I do about this amazing event, the more overwhelmed I feel. So,
I plan to break down my schizo thoughts in an attempt to:

A. Get organized

B. Gather comments from seasoned BEA professionals

This will be my last Newb Notes post. Why, you ask? For the simple reason that, in less than a week, I will no longer be a BEA newbie! That's right - BEA starts next Thursday. Six short days from today. I feel like I'm eating, sleeping and breathing BEA at the moment. It's exhilarating and exhausting all at the same time. Despite all the planning and research and education I've done over the past six months, I'm trying to keep in mind these final thoughts.

1. Don't Sweat It

Fact: I will not get every book I want.Fact: I will not meet every author I want.Fact: My life will not end because of these things.

My husband will attest to the fact that I have this annoying habit of planning things within an inch of my life, and then when things don't go exactly according to my master plan, I become the fiery emo pit of doom. Despite the fact that I KNOW I can't be in three places at once (and, really, at BEA, how freaking cool would THAT be?), I will still be disappointed when the real fact that I can't astral project bitch slaps me along side my head. I refuse to be that girl. I will be ecstatic with every book I get, every author and blogger I meet, and every moment I spend there soaking up all the booky vibes. The experience alone will be worth it. So, if I miss the galley drop of The Iron Traitor or don't get to meet Diana Gabaldon in person, so what? It's just a good excuse to do it all again next year.

2. Have Fun, Dammit

This is New York City, for cripes sake! Yes, my feet will hurt at the end of the day. Yes, I will be zombie tired. But, I'll be husband-less, children-less and surrounded by hundreds of people who can instantly tell you the difference between NA and YA and who know, between Veronica Rossi and Veronica Roth, who wrote what and who the best book boyfriend is between them (PERRY!). Revel in it. Soak up the bibliophile vibes. Sing some bad karaoke with people you don't know. Wait. Scratch that last one. Keep in mind that these are also people who have blogs and vlogs - chances are, pictures of your half-drunk self will end up on the interwebz in some form or another. This will be an experience like none other, and I want to treat it as such. I can't wait to meet all my new friends.

3. Learn Something While You're At It

Okay. Imagine you're stuck in a room with a bunch of big name publishers and super popular book bloggers all of whom are willing to let you pick their brains in order to make your own blog achieve rock star status. Oh yeah. THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HAPPEN. So, don't clam up and act all introverted. This is my big chance to find out what publishers really want to see in the blogs that do so much of their grassroots marketing. What do I need to do to secure my spot on some of the bigger blog tours? What blogs have some amazing ideas for increasing traffic and making my blog something that people actually WANT to read every day? These are all things that I know I can learn about as long as I open my mouth and speak.

So, wish me luck! And, stay tuned, because the next BEA-related posts you see will be re-caps with plenty of pictures and stories to tell.

(From Goodreads) Charley sees dead
people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince
them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died
under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want
Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the
intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been
following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after
all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Even though First Grave on the Right has been out for more than two years, it seems that just recently, I've been hearing more and more people talk about it and post reviews about it. And, all the reviews that I've heard have been glowing. Not wanting to be the last kid picked for the kickball team, I had to get to this book to see what all the hubbub was about. And, now I know. First Grave on the Right. was fun with a capital F. And Darynda Jones is a literary maven with a capital M. Okay, and L. How is it possible that I spent at least half the span of this book laughing my ass off? I mean, it's about serious topics like human trafficking, domestic violence and child abuse. Don't get me wrong - Jones doesn't treat these as laughing matters. Not at all. But, let's face it - these are pretty heavy subjects. The hilarity just lightens the load.

“Maybe I needed sensitivity training. I once signed up for an anger management class, but the instructor pissed me off.”

Charley Davidson is the grim reaper. Unlike in most books, she is totally alive, doesn't wear a cloak, doesn't wield a wicked scythe, and doesn't come to collect souls when a person's number is up. She's actually a private investigator who is extra good at what she does because she can see and talk to and touch dead people. After the wrong has been righted, they pass on to Heaven, and they do it through her. What a fresh and inventive take on the whole grim reaper bit!

“You called me at four thirty-four....I hate four thirty-four. I think
four thirty-four should be banned and replaced with something more
reasonable, like, say, nine twelve.”

Charley's only weakness appears to be an enigma named Reyes Farrow, a man who she met ten years ago and now chooses to ravish her only in her dreams. Although in front of every other person - alive or dead - on the planet, Charley has a smart ass comeback always ready to fire of at a moment's notice. In Reyes' presence, though, she's a blathering idiot. It's kind of hot, actually. And, that's the perfect way to describe Farrow. That dude is sex on a stick. And completely and utterly mysterious. You don't find out exactly what his deal is until the end, and I was totally in the dark until the big reveal. I loved that.

“Just in case, though, I stormed into my apartment, tossed a quick hello
to Mr. Wong, then rummaged through my entertainment center to lay out
all my exorcism equipment. I kept it in my entertainment center because
exorcisms were nothing if not entertaining.”

Charley's relationships with her quirky neighbor Cookie, her crusty uncle Uncle Bob (UBie for short) and her dubious cop friend Garrett Swopes are the icing on the cake. Although, at times I found Charley to be leaning toward unnecessarily bitchy than snarky, especially toward Swopes, her interactions with these characters were endearing and funny.

The mystery was good (albeit a bit convoluted), and I liked how it switched back and forth between the main mystery and the Reyes mystery. It wasn't too much of any one thing. And, although the main mystery was solved, the Reyes mystery is just beginning, and that alone keeps me wanting more. I certainly hope he and Charley get things straightened out. Because they are definitely made for each other.

Charlee May’s been
crushing on Dexter Hollingworth since she was fifteen. Five years later, a
horrific skiing disaster at Mason’s Ski Lift Resort leaves her millionaire dad
critically injured and her mom dead at the hands of Dexter operating the lifts.
Charlee is suddenly the sole caretaker for her little brother while their world
falls apart.

Dexter couldn’t be more different from Charlee. He’s
tattooed, avoids exclusive relationships and his Dad has a fair share of illegal
dealings. With Dexter’s reputation, almost everyone believes he planned the
Mason’s skiing disaster.

And after all these years he’s still crushing on
Charlee May, the girl who’s too good for him.

When this cruel twist of
fate ties Charlee’s family and Dexter’s reputation together, Charlee and Dexter
wonder if their feelings are reciprocated, while Dexter discovers his dad is
trying to steal the May’s millionaire fortune.

But like an addiction,
one look, one touch, one taste—they’re hooked no matter the
consequences.

Excerpt

Charlee

Dad and I look at each other at the same time and I need to speak first or else I’ll cop it, I know I will, and I need to explain that I was just being silly and I’m doing the best I can to be nice for Darcy.However, getting in first, Dad says, “I’m never getting out of here.”He doesn’t rub my shoulders or pull me to the bed so he can lean in, trembling with the effort, to kiss my forehead like he used to before a bedtime story. There’s no contact, no connection. I want my mom. I don’t want to be Darcy’s mom. There, I thought it. Did you hear that, Dad? I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready because Mom shouldn’t be dead and you’re not dead yet. You hear me?He just says, “Charlee? You hear that?”I bop my head up, left, down. It started as an I-don’t-know but I’m not sure what I did in the end. My brain didn’t compute his message. Refuses to compute it.“Oh, Charlee.” Dad sighs a ragged breath. This shouldn’t have happened. My best friend Rosa’s dad isn’t like this, so why should mine be? My dad’s not even fifty and hers is fifty-five! Dad winces as he tries to push himself up in bed and it’s so feeble that I can’t watch the same man who used to pin me down and tickle me ‘til I had cramps of pain from laughing struggle like this. I can’t watch, so instead his grunts pierce my ears because I close my eyes. I clench my fists by my thighs until he stops making those God-awful sounds and…And would you look at that! My father is sitting upright.“My liver now isn’t—”“Dad!” Darcy hooks his arm around the doorjamb and skids to a stop inside. He puts his hand to his chest and says, “She’s coming right now.”“Okay, okay. Come here. Whoa, did she give you coffee?”“No, I just came here as quick as I could, Dad. I promise she said she’ll come real soon.”“You’ve done great. Come sit down.”Darcy, smiling and satisfied with what he’s achieved for Dad, trots over to his chair and sits on the edge. He pulls out his handheld game from his pocket and starts jamming buttons. Then, apparently remembering something, pulls out his cell from his other pocket and starts texting.Dad’s eyes say come here so I scoot closer.“He’s a smart ki—” Dad starts, but footsteps are approaching our door. He says, “No tomfoolery with him. You tell him straight up, Charlee. You’re Melissa now and I am —”“Walter!” someone says from the door.It’s Lisa. She’s my favorite, because she sometimes has a sour candy for Darcy to suck on, and she always says how Dad’s improving, giving him smiles and pats on the back.As Mom to Dexter, Lisa has the same shocking blue eyes as he does. She wiggles her hips at the door, fingering her pocket. She has a somewhat round face, whereas Dexter’s is square and bulging with veins and all that sexy stuff I could only dream of touching, but Lisa Hollingworth is cute, in a Mom way. I bet if Dexter never opened that potty mouth I used to hear while I ogled him from the sidelines of the football field he’d look like a Mama’s Boy, too. But when he opens that mouth, his voice is sex oozing from those luscious lips.“Watermelon,” she says to Darcy.Darcy drops his electronics on his chair as if they are plastic toys from a McDonald’s Happy Meal and grabs the twenty-cent candy from her. Shame, really. That kid doesn’t know value. But there’s something comforting in that; Darcy is still learning, and I guess I can still tell him our Dad is going to be fine.

About the Author

Rebecca Berto is the author or the dark contemporary/literary novella, PRECISE and the upcoming new adult contemporary romance novel, DROWNING IN YOU. She is also a freelance editor.

She writes stories that are a bit sexy, and straddle the line between Literary and Tear Your Heart Out. She gets a thrill when her readers are emotional reading her stories, and gets even more of a kick when they tell her so. She’s strangely imaginative, spends too much time on her computer, and is certifiably crazy when she works on her fiction.

Rebecca Berto lives in Melbourne, Australia with her boyfriend and their doggy.

Although these covers look amazing all together, they mean so much more if you've actually read the series. The use of those particular colors and the representation of Cassia busting out of her shell is perfect.

Although there are two other books in the Across the Universe series, after the first book came out, the covers were all redesigned. I find that, usually, that's a good thing. In this case, I liked the original better.